Ich (treated) now Comet goldfish may have fin rot? Best treatment?

[C-2]

Hello,

I have a 55 gallon tank that has been happy and healthy for the last 6 months. I've had a large common pleco, 2 comet goldies, and 2 (currently) small weather loaches. I recently added an African brown knife and all was well for a couple of days but it started to show with signs of ich, I treated with API ich treatment at a half dose because of the loaches being scaleless fish. After the treatment all seemed well but the goldies who started showing signs of the ich. So I did a water change (with API Stress Coat included for water quality) and treated with another round of ich solution. No one else is sick but the goldies fins started to show signs of what I believe to be tail rot. Thick white spots at the edges of their tails and not they are starting to look frayed. I have quarantined them in a spare 29 gallon tank and did one more dose of full strength ich treatment in the smaller tank (Before I did research on what I now believe to be tail rot). In the 55 gallon which still contains all the healthy fish I have increased the temp to 86-88 (slowly) and added a little extra salt as a precaution, I have had the temp up for 7 days and plan to turn it back down on Sunday (3 days from now) with a water change. Everyone still seems healthy in the large tank.

My question is what to do about the goldies, all signs of ich seem to be gone and they act healthy, eating and playing as usual. They are still in the quarantine tank, and I will probably wait until sunday to return them to the larger one so I can be sure the ich doesn't return. I've read that fin rot is not "contagious" per say, and that it is best treated with healthy water conditions. Will returning them to the larger tank be okay for the other fish? And is it the best course of action?

 

[BBradbury]

Hello C...

Standard aquarium salt is the most useful. A couple of teaspoons for every 5 gallons of new, treated tap until conditions improve and then dose half the salt until the fish recover. I dose a teaspoon in every 5 gallons of new water all the time. I would vote against using any chemical medications. They can harm fish, plants and good bacteria. Heat is fine, but too high a temp and the plants won't like it and too much heat reduces the oxygen in the water. Add an HOB filter if possible to maintain good oxygen levels.

Keep the tank water extremely clean with large, frequent water changes and do a good job of vacuuming the substrate in the areas that aren't heavily planted.

Keep food to a minimum, but feed a variety and include some minced garlic. Feeding a little a couple of times a week is plenty.

B

 

[C-2]

I do use aquarium salt, I must have forgotten to mention that! Sorry! I use API brand salt according to the directions on the back with every water change. I don't have live plants so is the temp then okay? Or still too high?I do have a HOB filter, its a Marineland PF0350B Penguin Power Filter, 50 to 70-Gallon, 350 GPH, as well as bubblers at each end of the tank. I do a 10 percent water change each week and use a siphon to get down into the sand when I take water out.

I feed small amounts of goldfish flakes, bottom feeder disks(2-3 designed for loaches, with protein) and a few cichlid pellets (The goldies seem to like them, they came with the tank) every other day (roughly, sometimes every 3). 1-2 times a week I also give them a small feeder cube of bloodworms (That I chop into smaller pieces so they all get some). None of the food ever sits, its generally gone within half an hour. What is the garlic for? I've never heard of that.

 

[BBradbury]

Fish Diseases

I do use aquarium salt, I must have forgotten to mention that! Sorry! I use API brand salt according to the directions on the back with every water change. I don't have live plants so is the temp then okay? Or still too high?I do have a HOB filter, its a Marineland PF0350B Penguin Power Filter, 50 to 70-Gallon, 350 GPH, as well as bubblers at each end of the tank. I do a 10 percent water change each week and use a siphon to get down into the sand when I take water out.

I feed small amounts of goldfish flakes, bottom feeder disks(2-3 designed for loaches, with protein) and a few cichlid pellets (The goldies seem to like them, they came with the tank) every other day (roughly, sometimes every 3). 1-2 times a week I also give them a small feeder cube of bloodworms (That I chop into smaller pieces so they all get some). None of the food ever sits, its generally gone within half an hour. What is the garlic for? I've never heard of that.

Hello again C...

Small water changes do very little to maintain stable water conditions. You really need to removing and replacing half the water in the tank weekly. By flushing a lot of pure, treated tap water through the tank, there's no time for toxins to build up in the water before they're removed.

The warmer the tank water the faster the life cycle of parasites. With no plants in the tank, you can turn off the tank lights and in the room too. Most parasites that can infect fish locate a host by sight.

B